Stranger’s Kindness Helps St. Pete Beach Shop Owner Rebuild After Hurricanes

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Nearly two years after Hurricanes Helene and Milton battered the Florida coast, many local business owners are still piecing their lives back together.

For Robbie Caan, owner of the St. Pete Beach boutique Simply Perfect, the road to recovery seemed impossible until an act of kindness from a complete stranger changed everything.

St. Pete Beach business recovery

The backstory:

When Hurricane Helene pushed 3.5 feet of floodwater into her Corey Avenue shop, Caan lost nearly everything she had built over three decades.

"I didn't know what to do, and I just sat in the doorway and cried," Caan said. "It was like, ‘I've been doing this for 30 years. I'm 70 years old. What do I do now? Do I learn to play bingo? What do I do,’" she said.

"I had a few nice volunteers, but I also had the people that came and ripped me off, overcharging and gouging," Caan said.

Then, Brian Cox, a contractor working on a remodel of the nearby Beach Theatre, noticed her sitting outside.

"I walked outside one day after the hurricanes," Cox said. "I see a lady sitting on a brick wall, just a mess," Cox recalled. "And I was not sure what to do at that point in time other than to go see how somebody is doing. As it has been taught to me in my personal life and experiences that you do not leave somebody if they're not in a good situation. You just do not go up to them and ask if they're OK and then walk away without offering some kind of help. Mind you, this is a task that is monumental, and a lot of people thought we were crazy for even attempting such a thing," he said.

Cox walked across the street and offered to help rebuild her store for free, driven by his faith to lend a hand.

"It’s all the credit to the Lord," he said.

"The rumors on the street were rampant. He's, you know. 39-years-old, well, was 39, very good-looking, six foot-two, blonde hair, blue eyes, worked out every day. And everyone's like, ‘oh, here's this good-looking guy taking advantage of this old lady, and I'm smitten with the attention.’ And that wasn't the case at all. I wasn't paying him a penny," Caan said.

They rebuilt the store in a bigger space across the street from her old building. That building was also severely damaged from the storms. They reopened in September on the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene. Caan said it’s still a work in progress.

Today, the project has evolved into a lasting relationship. Cox left his previous job and is now Caan’s business partner.

 St. Pete Beach partnership details

What they're saying:

"We have a horrible situation that we've turned into a really positive situation where he's the son I never had. I'm the mother he needed here," Caan said.

"You don’t have to be related. It could be anybody, but it's good to have people to have your back because she knows I have her’s," Cox said.

They also have two French Bulldogs that are the newest employees.

"His roommate had a Frenchie in Ruskin that he couldn't bring [when he moved into an apartment in St. Pete Beach] and he had one previously, and I thought I need to do something to show him my appreciation without it being work-related. So, I decided I was going to surprise him with a Frenchy. Well, when we went to pick them up, there were two in the litter that were brindle, and I said I can buy one that's, and so he bought the other one. So, we have two little brothers. They're like twins," Caan said.

 St. Pete Beach future plans

What's next:

While finishing touches on the inventory are still underway, Caan looks forward to the future, hoping to eventually hand the reins of the business over to Cox when she retires.

St. Petersburg